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Student Jury Duty Service

Guidelines for Faculty and Professional Staff Regarding Student Jury Duty Service

Oregon State University supports students’ civic and legal responsibilities if called to serve on a jury while enrolled at OSU. Within this context, students who are called to serve on a jury should consult with their faculty and academic advisors about the impact of their jury service on their academic progress. In appropriate cases, students may ask the court to defer their service to a later term. In the event a student serves on a jury, the student is responsible for reporting her/his service and expected absences to instructors as soon as possible.

In support of this service, OSU faculty should not penalize students who have provided verification of their jury duty assignment under course attendance policies. Additionally, OSU faculty are expected to offer reasonable compensatory experiences to ensure that students’ academic progress in the course will not be unduly compromised. These might include extending deadlines, allowing make-up exams, or recalculating the weighting of scores from other course assignments or exams, to name a few. The Center for Teaching and Learning is available to consult with faculty about options for designing compensatory experiences, 541-737-2804; ctl@oregonstate.edu. It is up to the instructor to determine what constitutes a reasonable compensatory experience in a given course.

If a student is forced to withdraw from a course or a term due to a prolonged term of service on a jury, the university will work with the student to mitigate any potential institutional academic and/or financial hardship. Under these guidelines, university offices may consider jury duty among the legitimate reasons to consider granting an exception to policies regarding student financial obligations. Again, it will be up to the student to initiate changes in her/his enrollment in consultation with academic advisors, the Office of the Registrar, Business Affairs, Housing and Dining Services, and the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.